During his recent monthly web-based interaction with the secretaries to various ministers and chief secretaries of states, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed all municipal bodies to go digital to grant permission for the construction of buildings. This directive should be implemented by March 2019.

It is expected that online permissions will facilitate speedy approvals and construction of residential as well as commercial properties. This will further enhance the ease of doing business in the real estate sector. Currently, the manual system is quite ineffective, leading to project delays and timely completion. The Urban Affairs Ministry data shows that only 370 out of 500 municipalities have set up an online presence to give building approvals.

PM Modi also set the timeline of June 2018 for all agencies to complete geo-tagging of urban infrastructure that is being developed under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. The geo-tagged photographs will enable the government to effectively monitor the progress of AMRUT.